UPDATE: Temporary Injunction Stops UK Lesbian’s Deportation to Uganda

BBC News reports that a last minute injunction has halted the deportation of 29-year-old Brenda Namigadde, a lesbian from Uganda seeking asylum in the U.K.

A campaign to halt Namigadde’s deportation took on increased urgency after David Kato, an openly gay advocate in Uganda, was beaten to death last week.

Namigadde had already boarded the plane back to Uganda when the injunction was issued, around 9:30 PM last Friday. Her original claim for asylum was denied because, according to BBC News, “An immigration judge found on the evidence before them that Ms. Namiggade was not homosexual.” There has been new evidence submitted in her aslyum petition.

TAKE ACTION: Sign the petitionasking the UK to grant asylum to Brenda Namigadde!

Namigadde claims that she fled Uganda in 2002 with her Canadian girlfriend after being beaten and harassed because of her sexuality. In Uganda, homosexuality is illegal and carries a 14 year jail term.

As Care2 has reported in the past, an “Anti-Homosexuality bill was introduced in Parliament. The bill would put to death those who had been convicted of homosexuality. After much protest, the death penalty was dropped from the bill, the entirety of which seems to have been shelved.”

Regardless of Namigadde’s sexual orientation, the Ugandan government now believes that she is a lesbian, and thus she is in a great amount of danger if she returns to Uganda.

Her pending deportation gained national coverage after the murder of David Kato last week. Namigadde told The Advocate, “It’s really very scary to go back to Uganda. My life is gone as well. I am in danger. [Kato] is the one who was trying to stand for people.”

I have said this before, and I'll say it again. LOVING SOMEONE is not a crime. Can you choose who you love? No. Does it change who you are? No. I have many lesbian friends and to hear that across the world anyone could be so cruel over love is shocking. LOVE IS NOT A CRIME.